It Happened on Vashon

My Vashon Island life, chronicled on and off since 2006. Family, friends, travel, open water swimming, chickens, honeybees, foraging, growing stuff, practicing PR. A very good life in a beautiful Pacific NW setting.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

The Garden Tour after party

I ran into a former Westside neighbor who's curating a really fun "modernist garden" visual art display in the corridor where Dova Silks and Blooms reside. I know there's a name for that place but I don't know it (just wander in by Blooms and you're there)! Anyway, Jack told me that from 4:30-6p next Sunday (6/28) this will be the wrap-up destination of le tour, with noshes and a live acoustic band complete with mandolin. They're performing gratis, so throw a dollar in the hat, wontcha?

And...if you haven't poked your head into Dova lately, or draped any of the shop's "like buttah" garments on--as I had the pleasure of yesterday in search of my Strawberry Festival samba ensemble (en-samba-l), you must check this place out. Things here are timeless and elegant and artful. I love the little jellyfish-like swaths of silk that trim certain flirty skirts, scarves and tanks. Fun!

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

BCBG-licious!

It's been at least 18 months and I've been waiting for this day:My BCBG slacks fit again!

Uh...do you know how much BCBG costs? All this time, those five pairs of pants hung neglected in my closet. The last time I tried one pair on, my thighs weren't having it. I was shocked and depressed, and out like $1000 in hot clothing expenditures. I fought myself to put them on consignment. I'm so glad.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Karaoke at the Red Bicycle

Last night, Anjae Ludberg and I ventured over to where friends were gearing up to karaoke at the Red Bicycle. We joined them at the banquette as they flipped through the songlist binder. When Krista Dehnert suggested we go up--and do a RAP SONG--"It takes two," I bit the bait.

There was an 11 year old named Molly who was such an amazing young singer. She sang a song with very adult content about leaving a man who she didn't really love. And ya felt it--even though an 11 yr old was cranking it out.

Krista is a great entertainer on stage, too. And the guy who started it--darn I didn't get his name but what a gritty soulful white dude. When it was our turn, the Rob Base rap song went very well--for two white girls. We killed it and folks were out of their chairs bouncing around and dancing. What I lacked in rap-ability I more than made up for in stage "frontin'," I'm sure my co-rapper will attest.

Oh...the guy in the motorcycle moon boots who sang "I need a hero" complete with pelvic thrusts, lunges and lobbing his leg over the side of the stage--he had us laughing so hard we needed to stretch our abs and facial muscles afterward. I needed a cigarette--and I don't smoke! After that, nothing could top this guy's performance.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Vashon Chamber: spend wisely.

I am a Vashon Chamber member. If there's a way I can help out island businesses, I'm in. People on the island don't know the biz side of my life all that well. They see my mommy side, or my consumer side, but few have any idea of the stuff I work on and HAVE worked on for the past 17 years. What a blessing to have consulted and driven home so many great projects that help businesses go deeper to affect their bottom lines.

My advice for the Vashon Chamber is to spend wisely, not reward members' hard-earned dollars for contracts based on favorites or kiss-ups. There are many meritous businesses on the island, from construction to branding firms who are more than happy to help out the Chamber for a steal and do fine, effective work.

In the marketing world, 10 years back while living in Bremerton doing local and national projects, I took on copywriting with an outfit that turned out to be comprised of real sheisters on projects, and I witnessed them walk away with big bags of money and NO RESULTS for hopeful clients who invested in LAME web promotions. Smoke and mirrors all the way. LAME, I tell ya. It took a near lawsuit to get myself paid out of that experience! And when the copywriter's getting calls from pissed off clients because the Internet vehicle that was supposed to launch big biz didn't deliver, you KNOW it's bad.

Not even two years ago, this same person came to the island acting like a savior on horseback--and by the time I found out who it was from an island merchant, I told her STOP NOW--but it was already too late. And he did the same damn thing to the hardworking merchants of Vashon. Worse yet, an on-island marketer who drank his kool-aid promoted him to the merchants in the first place; I find it really baffling that this person can look merchants in the eye and act like that was okay to do. Pardon my ethos but, I'm willing to bet there was a commission involved.

My hope is that the COC, if it chooses to award contracts (especially relating to marketing), does due diligence, collects references, and fully looks at the work experience to be sure it is relevant to the project needed.

About Me

North End Vashon Islander and mom to two awesome young men. Blissfully married to David, the multi-talented avenger. Making my own living, not spending other people's money. Living on Vashon Island, pop 10,000, land of lawyers, naturalists, artists, foodies, and so many backstories. Wanna read some?